Apparatus for elevating oil and other fluids



wlzlwmmln INVENTOR.

A TTORNE Y.

L. H. MILES APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING OIL AND OTHER FLUIDS Filed Oct. 27. 1926 March 20, 1928.

LESTER H. MILES lll/IIL Patented Mar. 20, 1928.

PATENT OFFICE.

LESTER H. MILES, OF LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

.APPARATUS FOR ELEVATING OIL AND OTHER FLUIDS.

Application led October 27, 1926. Serial No. 144,597.

My invention relates to an apparatus for elevating fluid.

The general object of my invention is to provide an improved `means whereby the oil in a well may be brought to the surface when the gas pressure in the well is insuiicient to cause the well to flow.

Another object. of my invention is to provide an improvedmeans which will increase `the flow of oil wells wherein the gas pressure is .so weak that the oil barely flows.

A further object of my invention is to provide an apparatus, including a plurality of stages for causing the removal of oil from wells.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section through an oil well Showing niy device mounted therein;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical section through my device showing a. number of the stages; .Y

Fig. 3 is an enlarged, vertical section through the adjustable check valvev applied to the gas outlet pipe in Fig. 1;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged cross section through one of the check valve rings used in conjunction with my device;

Fig. 5'is a vertical section through the upper portion of an oil wellshowing means for forcing gas into the well, and

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary section of a modified form of my invention.

Referring to the drawings by reference characters I have shown my invention as comprising a number of stages 10, arranged in a tubing 11. The tubing is sup orted in,

a casing hcad'12, which is provide with oil outlet pipes 13. The tubing 11 is surrounded by a casing 14 provided at its lower end. with the usual sections of perforated casing. The casing 14 is supported at 1ts upper end in the lower part of the casmg head 12.

Each stage 10, of which there may any desired number, consists of sections of inner tubing 15, having partitions 17 disposed across the same. The sections have ends adjacent partitions 18 which extend across both the tubing 11 and the tubing 15 and are secured to the latter.

A single stage as shown, comprises two sections of the tubing 15, a lower section 19 and an upper section 20, the two combined extending from one partition 17 to the next partition 17. Intermediate the two sections 19 and 20 one of the partitions 18/is arranged. The lower end of the section 20 is provided with ports 22 and the upper end of the tubing 19 is provided with similar ports 23.

Both of said sets of ports form communieating passages from the inside of the tubing sections 19 and 20 to a passage-way 24 formed by the adjacent portion of the tubing 15 and the adjacent portion ofthe tubing 11. The lower end of each section 19 is coupled -to the upper end of the adjacent tubing 2() by a tubing joint 21.

The partitions 17 are shown as sup orted by clamping their outer peripheral e ge between the top ofthe tublng 20 and the bottom of the tubing 19. The partitions 17 are provided with an internally threaded central oss 25 intowhich pipes 2 6, having screw threaded ends, are fitted. The pipes 26 extend from the lower stage to the surface. The partitions 18 are supported by clamping their peripheral edges between the abutting ends of the sections of the tubing 11 with tubing joints 11'.

The partitions 18 are provided with an internally threaded central boss 27 into which there is fitted an upwardly extending 'tubing 28 surrounding the pipe 26 and spaced therefrom, and a downwardly extending tubing 29 of the same diameter. The lower end of the downwardly extending tubing 29 is spaced from the top surface of the partition 17 and the upwardly extending tubing 28 is spaced from the bottom surface of the preceding partition 17.

As stated the sectional pipe 26 extends from the bottom partition 17 of the first lift upward to the surface and out through the casing head 12 and connects to another pipe 30 which has interposed in its length an adjustable check valve 31, see Fig. 3.

The first or lowermost stage 32 is not a complete stage as previously described, merely corresponding to the upper half of the other stages. This stage 32 comprises a tubing section 33 externally threaded at its upper end for engagement with a tubing joint 21. The section 33 is internally threaded at its lower end for engagement with threads formed on an upwardly dished base portion 34. Just above this base portion, the section 33 is provided with ports 35 which, like the ports 22 and 23, form a communicating passage from the inside of the tubing 33 to .the passageway 24. The base 34 has a central internally threaded bore 36 into which is secured one of the tubing sections 28.

The base is also provided with an upwardly extending flange 37 threaded for engagement with screw threads formed on the lower end of the tubing 11. Over the outer peripheral edge of the base 34 is secured a packing ring 38 to prevent any passage of oil past the base other than through the central bore 36.

.The operationof my device is as follows:

The stages 10 are mounted in the tubing 11 as previously described, and the tubing is then lowered into the casing 14 until a number of stages are below the normal oil level in the well.

The' oil and gas will enter through the short tubing 28 shown at the bottom of Fig. 2, and on strikino the bottom of the lowermost partition 17 will be directed downwardly against the top of the base 34. j The oil will collect about the base 34 and some of the gas will pass on up between the tubing 33 and the tubing 11 with but little oil being carried by the gas. As soon asvthe level of the oil on the base 34 reaches the top of the apertures 35 the gas will begin forcing the oil through these apertures35 and into the space between the tubing 33 and the tubing 11, and the height of the oil will rise until it reaches the bottom of the apertures 23 when it will pass through these apertures and fall on the top of the partition 17 so that it will be trapped in af compartment, the bottom of which is formed by the partition 17. As the oil is forced u between the tubings 33 and 11, the gas a so passes up between these tubings and it is the movement of this gas which carries the oil upwardly. The gas bubbles through the opening 35 and the lifting effect is due to the effect of the bubbles and their movement and pressure.

The level of the oil which falls on the partition 17 4rises until' the surface thereof 'touches the bottom of the tubing 29. The gas bubbles into the bottom o f the tubing 29 carryingoil with it, this gas and oil passes up through the tubing 28, strikes the bottom of the partition 17 and is deflected downwardly against the partition 18. This operation will be repeated until the top is reached and the oil flows ofi through the pipes 13.

internally 15 just above the outlet ports 35 and 22, and

provided over its peripheral edge with a packing ring 42 to prevent any passage of `the oil in the passageway 24 other than through the valve 41. These check valve rings may be located to meet the particular requirements in each case.

In Figs. 5 and 6 I have shown-a slight modification of my device for use in wells which do not contain enough gas 'for the operation of my device.

The stages are all constructed, assembled, and placed in an operative position in the well as in the first form except that I continue the pipe 26 downward past the base34 for a distance and connect the surface end with a valve controlled pipe line 45 communicatin with a pressure pump 46. The pump 46 orces gas through the pipe 45 into thepipe 26 downwardly therein and is discharged into the oil at a point below the base 34. This gas in the oil assists to lift the oil in the well. The flow of oil in this modified form is the same as previously described in the first form.

What I claim is:

1. In a fluid operated pump, a pair of spaced tubes comprising an inner and outer tube, meansto divide said outer tube into a plurality of pumping compartments, means todivide said inner tube into a plurality of pumping compartments, and means to afford communication between said compartments, means for admitting the operating fluid and the liquid to the bottom compartment and means for discharging the pumped liquid from the top compartment.

2. In a device of the class described, a pairl of spaced tubes comprising an inner and an outer tube, spaced partitions in said inner tube,other partitions spaced intermediate saidL first mentioned partitions and extending across said inner and outer tubes, said partitions forming a series of pumping compartments for the flow of the liquid, said other partitions supporting a tubing, said tubing extending above and below said other partitions and having opening ends, said inner tube having ports adjacent each face of the said other partitions, means for admitting liquid to the bot-tom compartment and means for discharging the pumped liquid from the top compartment.

3. In combination with a well containing a gaseous fiuid, a casing in said well, an

partitions extending across said inner and outer tubes, said other partitions being supp orted by lsaid outer tube, said other partitions supporting a tubing, said partitions forming a series of pumping compartments for the fiow of the fiuid, said tubing extending above .and below said other partitions to points adjacent said first mentioned parti- -tions and spaced therefrom, said inner tube having ports adjacent either face 'of the sec-A ond mentioneddpartigtions, said ports forming communicating passages from the interior of said inner tube vto said outer tube,

vmeans for admitting fiuid to the bottom compartment and means for discharging the pumped fiuid from the top compartment.

4., In a device of the class described, a pair of spaced tubes including an inner and outer tube, spaced partitions in said inner tube,

said partitions being supported by said partitions having a pipe running therethrough and supported thereby, other partitions spaced intermediate said first mentioned pare titions and supported by said outer tube,

said other partitions extending across said inner tube and said outer tube, said partitions forming a series of pumping colnpartments for the flow of the liquid, said ipe forming a continuous passageway rom points below the first of said second mentioned partitions to the surface, a tubin supported by each of said second mentione partitions, said tubing being around and' spaced from said previously mentioned pipe,

said tubing extending above and below eachl of said second mentioned partitions to points adjacent said first mentioned partitions and spaced therefrom, said inner tube having ports adjacent each face of the second mentioned partitions, said ports forming communicating' passages from the interior of said inner tube to the space between said tubes means for admitting liquid to the bottom compartment and means for discharging the pumped liquid from the top compartment.

5. In combination with a well containing a gaseous fluid, a -casing in said well, a tube in said casing, a. second tubing in said first mentioned tubing and spaced therefrom to form a passageway, spaced partitions in said second mentioned tubing, said partitions being supported by said second mentioned tubing, said partitions having a pipe .running therethrough and supported therementioned pipe, said last mentioned tubing extending above and below said second mentioned partitions to points adjacent to but spaced from said first mentioned partitions, said second mentioned tube having ports adjacent each face of, the second mentioned partitions, said ports forming communicating passages from the interior of said second mentioned tubing to the interior of said first mentioned tubing, means for admitting fluid to tliebottom compartment and means for discharging the pumped fluid from the top compartment.

6. In combination with a well containing a gaseous fluid, a casing in said well, a tube in said casing, a second tubing in said first mentioned tubing and spaced therefrom to form a passagewa f, check valves in said passageway, space partitions in said last mentioned tubing, said artitions being supported by said secondp mentioned tubing, said partitions having a pipe running therethrough and supported thereby, said pipe forming a continuous passageway from the first of said partitions to the surface, other partitions spaced intermediate said first inentioned partitions and supported by said first mentioned tubing, said partitions forming a series of pumping compartments for the fiow of the fluid, said partitions extending across said first mentioned tubing and said second mentioned tubing, said other artitions supporting a tubing around and) spaced Vfrom said mentioned pipe, said tubing extending above and below said second mentioned partitions to points adjacent said first mentioned partitions and spaced therefrom, said second mentioned tubing having'ports adjacent either face of the second mentioned parti tions, said ports forming communicating passages from the interior of said second mentioned tubing to the interior of said first mentioned tubing, means for admitting fluid to the bottom compartment and means for discharging the pumped fiuid from the top compartment.

7. In combination with a well containing a gaseous fluid, a casing in said well, an

outer tubing in said casing, an inner tubing by said outer tubing, said partitions forming a series! of pumping compartments for the flow ofthe fluid, said other partitions extending across said innerand outer tubing, a tubing arranged around and spaced from said pipe and said last mentioned tubing extending abovev and below said second menmeans for admitting Huid to the bottom comtioned partitions to points adjacent said first partment and means for discharging. the mentioned partitions and spaced therefrom, pumped fluid from the to compartment 10 said second mentioned tubing having ports In testimony whereof, hereunto aiix my forming communiating passages from the signature.

interior of said second mentioned tubing to i f the interior of said first mentioned tubing, LESTER H. MILES. 

